


Love Is an Onomatopoeia

by Iggytheperson, the_rest_is_silence



Category: Digimon - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Developing Friendships, Drabble Collection, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Multi, Possible Warnings in Notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-04-17 15:25:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14191968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iggytheperson/pseuds/Iggytheperson, https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_rest_is_silence/pseuds/the_rest_is_silence
Summary: An imported compilation of various prompt drabbles. Because reasons.





	1. Advice

######  12\. “You’re a genius with facts, but you’re really stupid with people.” 

“You’re a genius with facts, but you’re really stupid with people.”

Koushiro blinked. If he had been asked who among his friends was most likely to come into his work space like this with that particular statement, Ichijouji Ken would have been his absolute last choice. And yet there he was, face red up to his hair line, kneading the hem of his light jumper frantically, while Wormmon was perched on his shoulders, watching on silently, eyes scrunched into a worried frown.

“Uhm,” Koushiro replied, surprised at his own speechlessness.

“I mean, it’s not a criticism! And… maybe I shouldn’t have said ‘stupid’, it’s just… Miyako-san used ‘really stupid’ when she said that to me.”

The younger boy glanced at his guest slippers again. “I’m sorry for disturbing you if you’re busy. Your mother let me in and said you wouldn’t mind having guests, but I can see that you’ve been working, so…”

“It is not a problem, Ichijouji-kun, please do not worry.”

Truth be told, Koushiro normally hated it when he was interrupted while working. Usually, he even resented having to take breaks for food or drink, but both his parents and Taichi-san insisted on it. Taichi even had the annoying habit of calling him late at night when he happened to see that Koushiro was still online on the Chosen Children messaging board he’d programmed himself, telling him to go to bed – just less politely. And today, he’d even asked Tentomon if he could perhaps spend some time with the other Digimon, perhaps undertake a joint trip to the Digital World with some of the other partners, so that Koushiro could work in silence.

So. Normally, this intrusion would have put him in a bad mood, made him anxious at the very least, but Ichijouji-kun’s surprising visit had piqued his interest.

“Please sit down.” He gestured towards two cushions on the floor – if he’d asked Ken to sit down on the opposite side of his computer desk, the two boys wouldn’t have been able to see each other for all the equipment and print-outs piling up on the table.

Koushiro stood up and looked into the pot of tea his mother had left with him earlier. “I seem to have some Oolong tea left though I have to admit that it might be cold by now.”

Ken shook his head. He’d sat down, allowing Wormmon to sit on his lap, but he gripped the edge of the cushion tensely and looked uncomfortable even to Koushiro, who often missed cues like that. “I-it’s fine. Again, I’m sorry to interrupt, I just-“ He stopped and didn’t speak up again until Koushiro sat down on the other cushion, facing Ken.

“I am not entirely sure why you have come to me with this…statement.”

So far, he had gleaned that, while Ken seemed to have been addressing the sentence at him, Koushiro, it had apparently come from Miyako first, directed at Ken. Also, it seemed to bother Ken quite a bit, judging from his expressions. Why he had come to Koushiro with this as opposed to talking to Miyako directly or perhaps discussing the matter with Daisuke-kun, who was ostensibly his best friend, remained unclear.

“I, uh, it’s just… I… I didn’t quite know what to make of it, and you… you seem to be similar to me in that way.” Ken seemed to be shocked at his own statement, which puzzled Koushiro even more. “I mean, not really similar, of course! You’re a much better person than I am, Izumi-senpai, I didn’t mean to imply-“

“Ken-chan!” Wormmon had started to protest, but Koushiro had already raised his hands, causing both to fall silent.

“It’s fine, Ichijouji-kun. I think I know what you mean. I have often been told that I am much better with assembling and processing facts than I am in social situations, which is, I believe, what Miyako-chan was referring to?”

Ken nodded again.

“I see why you recognise a similarity, but that does not really explain why you came to me?”

Ken squirmed in his seat. “I… I’m sorry… perhaps I shouldn’t have come.” He looked up at Koushiro again. “I just wasn’t sure how to react or…what it means for our friendship, and I was wondering… I was wondering if you have been in my situation and might have some advice for me?”

This was new for Koushiro. He had never once in his life been asked for advice when it came to social interactions – and he knew why; he was usually the one to ask for advice. Still, he understood now why Ken had come to him in particular and he was astonished but pleased to learn that the younger Chosen trusted him enough to come to him. But he wasn’t exactly sure how to help him.

“Well, what kind of advice do you need? What was the situation?”

 

Ken bit his lip – another sign of nervousness, he knew – and looked to the side. “I don’t know… I think I hurt Miyako’s feelings, but I didn’t mean to… Do you think she won’t to be friends anymore? Is that what she meant by it? I mean, I know I’m not good with people, but…”

“But you do not know how to change that? Neither do I, but it helps to be surrounded by friends who understand.”

He wished Ken would look up again. He didn’t need eye contact to converse, he never had, but he did feel that Ken would perhaps benefit from not glancing at the floor in worry anymore – Koushiro didn’t think Ken needed to worry at all about Miyako’s friendship, but wasn’t sure how to communicate that. In the end, he decided that – as was often the case – plain words would do best.

“Ichijouji-kun, I do not think you need to worry about Miyako’s friendship being withdrawn. In my experience, it takes more than a misunderstanding, miscommunication or even a slight to end a friendship, at least among our particular circle of friends.”

Ken looked up ever so slowly, and Koushiro decided to offer him a smile.

“I believe our problems are of a different nature. You are still not much used to having friends, are you?”

“No, I suppose not…”

Not even a year had passed since they had defeated Ken as the Kaiser, but Ken had already integrated well into the younger group, as far as Koushiro could judge, and he didn’t think that a small squabble with Miyako would change that. After all, fighting beings like Diaboromon in Tokyo Bay tended to bond people together very strongly, as Koushiro could attest from personal experience. It was only a matter of time until he felt comfortable with the older Chosen as well, or at least Koushiro hoped so.

“You will get used to that, I am sure. And even if you will always be ‘a genius with facts, but really stupid with people’ as Miyako-chan so eloquently put it,” he smiled at Ken reassuringly, “as am I and always will be, if I may say so myself, then our friends will understand that as long as we strive to do right by them.”

Ken seemed to relax a little – at least he loosened his grip on Koushiro’s cushion, much to Wormmon’s relief, if Koushiro judged the Digimon’s facial expressions correctly. “You…you think so?”

 

Koushiro nodded. “I am certain of it. If you want my advice as to how to proceed with Miyako, I would opt for complete honesty. Let her tell you what you did wrong in her eyes and apologise if appropriate. In my experience, talking honestly solves most misunderstandings.”

A small smile had begun to show on the younger boy’s face. “Thank you, Izumi-senpai. I appreciate that you took the time to talk me through this-“

It seemed like Ken wanted to say more but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

It was his mother. “I’m sure your tea is already ice-cold,” she scolded, but with a smile. “So I made a new pot for you and your friend. Would you like a cup, dear?” She added, turned towards Ken.

Koushiro was about to tell his mother that Ken had already rejected his offer of tea and presumably did not need it renewed, but Ken smiled and nodded instead.

“Yes, thank you, Izumi-san. I would very much like that.”


	2. Similarity

###### #14 “We’re in love with the same person. Friendships have been built on less common ground.”

Miyako’s plan had seemed perfect at the time. Make chocolates for Ken, go to Tamachi after school the day before Valentine’s, drop the chocolates off in his shoe locker. Ken would’ve already gone home. Anyone still in the school would be working or doing club activities. She could get in and out undetected.

But what she hadn’t expected was to turn into Ken’s row, and find Daisuke. Holding a red and pink box in his hands. Putting that box into Ken’s locker.

It was so entirely unexpected that she ended up dropping her own box. Which had the effect of causing Daisuke to notice her. 

The second Daisuke made eye contact with her, she snapped out of her stupor and took off running. She didn’t stop until she was on the train back home. She also didn’t realize that she’d abandoned her homemade chocolates, either. It was disappointing to think that all her effort would go to waste, but there was no way in hell she was going back for them now.

 

She’s lying in bed about an hour later, contemplating what the hell she should do, when her sister yells that she has a guest. She hopes to god that it’s not Daisuke. A few seconds later, there’s a knock on her bedroom door.

“Miyako? Can I come in?” It’s Daisuke.

She doesn’t answer, hoping maybe by some miracle he’ll go away. She should’ve expected that he’d barge into her room without waiting for an answer anyways. 

“What do you want.” She snaps, not bothering up to get up and actually look at her visitor. 

“Well, I thought you’d be worried about your chocolates. I don’t know when you noticed that you dropped them, so I figured I’d just tell you that I put them in Ken’s locker for you.” He says nonchalantly. 

_That_ gets Miyako’s attention. She sits up and stares at him.

“You…put them in Ken’s locker?” She asks in disbelief.

“Yeah, they were for Ken, weren’t they? I mean, his name was on them.” Daisuke says almost nervously. What the heck? 

“I mean yeah, but…weren’t those chocolates that you had for Ken too?” She asks dumbly.

“Yup!” Daisuke responds cheerfully. 

“So you…have a crush on Ken?” Miyako continues.

“Yup!” Daisuke says again. 

“…Do you not get that the reason I was giving him chocolates was because I like him too?” Miyako questions. She doubts that Daisuke could possibly be that dumb, but it’s the only thing she can think of to explain Daisuke’s behavior.

“What? Of course I understood that! How dumb do you think I am?” Daisuke cries indignantly. 

“Trust me, Daisuke. You don’t want to know.” She replies. Daisuke moans and dejectedly flops face first onto her bed, whining into the sheets. Miyako rolls her eyes and laughs at him. But then she remembers how weird he’s being and stops. 

“…So you…aren’t upset that I like Ken?” She asks, still dumbfounded. Daisuke looks up at her with pure confusion on his face. 

“Why would I be upset? You’re weird, Miyako.” He says decidedly.

“Weird? You’re the one who’s being weird! You seriously don’t hate me now or anything!?” She shouts disbelievingly. 

Daisuke looks even more confused. “Why would I hate you!?” He cries, sounding incredibly distressed. 

“Because… _because!_ ” Miyako stumbles, trying to come up with what should’ve been an obvious answer. “This makes us like…love rivals now, or something.” Is what she eventually comes up with. Daisuke stares at her slack jawed for a few seconds before abruptly bursting into laughter.

“What!? W-what’s so funny!?” Miyako stutters in embarrassment.

“Oh my god that’s so _stupid!_ ” He chuckles.

“No it’s not!” Miyako retorts weakly. He bursts out laughing even harder. 

“Yes it is! You think I’d hate you for being in love with Ken!? What kind of sense does that make!? I’m in love with him too, weirdo!” Daisuke mocks.

“And that makes us like, in competition or something, right!? Aren’t you upset about that at all!?” She yells. 

“God no! You’re like, the one person I’d _want_ to be competing with!” Daisuke says with a big dopey grin on his face. Miyako finds herself even more confused.

“…What? Why?” She asks dumbly.

“Why _wouldn’t_ I want you as my rival? Even if I lose, my best friend is going to have someone great as his girlfriend, so I’ll still be happy! That’s like, the best possible thing!” 

“You…wouldn’t be mad at me for stealing him from you or something?” Miyako asks hesitantly.

“Pfffffttahahaha! No way, that’s dumb! If he likes you, then he likes you, that’s not stealing him from me. Sure, I’d be sad, but I’m not going to go around blaming you for making yourself happy! I’m not 11 anymore, jeez. I’m capable of growing up, y’know…” He says, jokingly pretending to be offended.

“So you’re not going to be mad if I end up with Ken?”

“Nope! The only way you’re going to make me mad is if you win and then you break his heart. And if that happens then I think that as his best friend, I’m legally allowed to murder you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind then.”

 

“So, you think I’m great?” She asks out of the blue one day. She doesn’t know why she hadn’t thought about it at the time, but now that she thinks about it that’s actually kind of weird.

“Yeah! I mean, you are kinda mean sometimes, but I probably deserve at least some of that…But you’re like, super smart and confident and cool and stuff! You’re totally great!” He declares.

“Gee, thanks!” She laughs.

“…And for what it’s worth, I think you’re pretty great too.”

 

“So Ken, are you into any girls?” Daisuke pries in the middles of a group picnic. Ken’s face goes red and he buries his head in his knees.

“Oh, there totally is, isn’t there? Do we know her? Is it one of us? Miyako?” Daisuke asks, jokingly poking at him. Miyako tries to wrap her head around what the heck Daisuke is trying to pull as Ken attempts to sink into the ground. But she’s not one to miss an opportunity.

“What’cha hiding your face for, Kenny? Is my beauty just to much for you to handle?” She asks, striking a pose and getting a glare.

“You wound me, Ken!” She laughs. “What, you don’t think I’m pretty?”

“I-It’s not like that! Don’t put words in my mouth, Miyako!” Ken says in distress.

“Then what’s up? Oh, oh, could it be that it’s a guuuuy?” She asks, getting a small, overjoyed thumbs up from Daisuke.

“W-what!?” Ken sputters as he turns into bright red tomato.

“Oh, I totally hit the jackpot, didn’t I?” She says as a gigantic grin grows on her face. For some reason the prospect doesn’t break her heart at all. Weird.

“Shut up Miyako! Don’t make fun of me!” Ken snaps suddenly. He’s clearly just embarrassed, but Miyako can’t help but notice that Daisuke looks kind of shaken.

 

“He didn’t mean it like that, Daisuke. He was just flustered.” She assures him later.

“You don’t know that…” He mutters.

“Nope! I don’t! But you don’t know that I’m _not_ right, either! Stop sulking, it doesn’t suit you!” She says, grabbing him by the chin and forcing him to look up. 

“And besides, you aren’t allowed to just give up! That would be the most disappointing way to win _ever!_ ”

 

“How did you learn how to paint nails so well?”

“Jun taught me.”

“That’s a miracle if I’ve ever heard of one.”

“Oh shush. Now hold still and tell me how that plan of yours went.”

“He didn’t notice even a little bit. God, we fell in love with an idiot.”

“We sure did.”

“It’s so weird that we’re friends because of this, y’know? This is like, the exact opposite of what tv always said would happen.”

“We’re in love with the same person. Friendships have been built on less common ground.”


	3. Eventually

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Miscarriage - if that topic upsets you or you just don't want to read about it, please skip this chapter!

######  38\. "I lost the baby." 

 

She’s been acting weird all day.

Normally, Ken would have stuck to his desk and worked on his thesis, and so would Miyako, while Daisuke, already finished with his business degree is out working in his food truck.

Today is different because Miyako has been pacing the flat restlessly, and not like she’s just pondering a particularly hard programming problem. Ken is pretty sure that he has seen her wipe her eyes as if she’s been crying but she just won’t talk to him.

He’s tried. He’s basically given up on writing another chapter today anyway, so he’s spent his entire day trying to get Miyako to _fucking_ talk to him... No such luck.

He’s knocked on her door during one of the brief periods of time when she’s actually sitting down at her desk, though he can hear no typing at all. She doesn’t answer.

He’s tried to intercept her while she’s doing her pacing, but, even though she may have been talking then, she hasn’t really _said_ anything. Just that he shouldn’t worry and that she’s fine. She’s not and he does.

Wormmon says she might be on her period, and Ken nearly chokes on his tea. When asked where he heard that phrase, _especially_ when used in such circumstances, Wormmon answers that he heard it from Veemon who has it from Daisuke, and Ken decides that, once he gets Miyako to talk, he will also have to have a stern chat with Daisuke.

Still, it doesn’t help assuage his worries, considering that he’s known Miyako for years now, and she has _never_ acted like that before, and she’s fairly certain he’s interacted with her before when she was... well, on her period. He really needs to figure out what’s appropriate for a Digimon to know about human anatomy.

It’s clear that Miyako is in distress, and he wants to help her more than anything. She has always been there for him whenever he’s sad (and that still happens far more than he’d like despite the meds) but how can he help when she actively avoids him?

Is it something he’s done? Has he hurt her feelings? Is she upset with _him_ and that’s why she won’t talk? Ken’s thoughts begin to go in circles and he spends an hour worrying that their friendship might be over, that the great clash between them is coming, like he always feared it would, but deep down, he knows that this is mainly his anxiety talking, and that kind of thought process isn’t really helpful right now.

At 4pm he gives up figuring it out by himself, and so he corners Hawkmon in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, Ken-san, but I cannot possibly betray Miyako’s trust-“

He stops the Digimon before he can say much else. “I don’t want you to tell me why she’s so upset. She doesn’t want to tell me, and... I respect that. But why? Why won’t she tell me? Can’t I help her in some way? Or will I hurt her more if I try?”

Hawkmon seems conflicted. It’s clear that he doesn’t know how much he can say without saying too much, but, Ken thinks, he really looks like he would like to say a lot.

“She’s not telling you because she thinks you will be sad and she doesn’t want to burden you with it right now.”

Ken bites his lips. He should have thought of that. Of course he’s seen as too freaking <i>vulnerable</i> to be of much use to his partners.

“She wants to wait until Daisuke comes home so she can tell you both at the same time.”

“...okay.”

Ken doesn’t know what to think. He’s glad that Miyako is planning to tell both of them what’s bothering her, but he’s concerned that she doesn’t trust him enough to tell him right now. That she thinks she will burden him with whatever it is that puts her in such distress when all he wants to do is help her.

Eventually, he just simply sits down next to her.

Miyako’s curled up on the sofa and she’s crying so much she hasn’t noticed him come closer but she he sits up with a start when she feels his weight next to her. “Ken-chan!” She frantically wipes her eyes but it’s no use; she’s still crying.

“I...go back to your room, please... I don’t want to talk...”

“I know.”

She stares at him. “What?”

“I know you don’t want to talk right now so I made you tea.” He points at the tray with a kyushuu and two tea bowls next to it, which he’s placed on the low table in front of them.

She keeps staring.

“I just want you to know that I’m here for you even if you don’t want to talk. Just... you should know that you never have to cry alone, okay?”

She keeps staring for another second but then she all but collapses into his arms, sobbing. He wraps his arms around her and holds her tight, rubbing her back occasionally, telling her that it’s going to be okay even though he still doesn’t know what’s wrong and if it’s actually going to be okay, but he says it nonetheless, hoping that it will comfort her.

They stay like this for what seems like hours, letting the tea grow cold. Hawkmon has joined them, but he keeps a polite distance. Wormmon not so much – the anxious caterpillar is clinging to Ken’s ankles as a way of showing support.

Eventually, a key is turned in their door and Daisuke waltzes in.

“We bought donuts and cakes and melonpan and other sweet stuff,” Veemon chants excitedly, running into the living room, but he stops short when he sees the four of them huddled on the sofa.

Daisuke comes inside only a moment later, a cheery smile on his face. “Hey guys! I brought lots of good stuff for dinner, and- holy shit, what’s going on?”

The smile vanishes and Daisuke looks mostly puzzled – probably because Miyako is the one crying, not Ken, Ken thinks drily.

Still, it only takes Daisuke a second to adapt and he plonks himself down next to Miyako, putting an arm around her shoulders. Daisuke’s and Ken’s arms touch now and the three of them just sit like that for a while until Miyako stirs.

“Hi,” she murmurs as she sits up between her boyfriends.

“Hi!” Daisuke greets her, still concerned, but with a smile. “You’re sure happy to see me.”

She responds with a weak smile and another hiccup-y sob. Daisuke takes her right hand in his; Ken takes the other.

“So, what’ve the lot of you been up to while I was gone?” Daisuke asks casually, but he does glance towards Ken without Miyako noticing. Ken just shakes his head. He still has no idea what’s going on except that, clearly, Miyako is deeply affected by it.

“...guess it’s time to tell you what’s up...” she whispers in a voice so unlike Miyako that it almost physically hurts Ken. Maybe she’s right about not telling him while Daisuke was still out. He already feels like he’s about to cry.

“...I was going to tell you two this weekend... I’ve been feeling weird lately so I went to see a doctor...”

Ken feels queasy. No, please, she can’t be ill...

“She told me I was pregnant.”

“But that’s gr-“ Daisuke has misjudged the situation, and Ken quickly pokes him in the side to stop him talking. This is not where this is going.

“But today... today I was bleeding...” She’s crying again. “I lost the baby.”

“Shit,” Daisuke’s reaction is honest and painful. He stares at her in shock, then moves to hug her but she shakes him off. Ken hasn’t really processed it yet but he can already feel the tears starting to come. He doesn’t know what to say.

Daisuke, unable to hug Miyako, reaches across and puts his hand on Ken’s shoulder instead.

Miyako bends foward, arms wrapped around herself, shoulders shaking badly. “I’m so...I’m sorry...” she breathes out between sobs, and that’s all it takes for both Ken and Daisuke to get moving. They bump their heads together by accident, but Ken ignores the pain, and so does Daisuke, and soon they’ve got their arms wrapped around Miyako and each other.

They are all crying, and Ken can’t help but feel bad because the Digimon are unsettled and don’t really understand, but he can’t do much for them – he’s busy holding Miyako, and crying himself, trying to figure out what he feels about this.

Eventually, Miyako calms down and sits up. She sniffles and starts to get up. Both Ken and Daisuke grab her hands to hold her back but she shakes her head. “It’s okay, I’m going to take a shower guys...” She smiles at them through her tears. “I’m okay. I just need some time alone now... Thank you for- just thank you. I love you.”

They both say it back, but, to Ken, it feels like it isn’t enough. Still, he lets her walk off to the bathroom. Daisuke stays behind with him, and Ken moves closer to him. Daisuke pulls him into a hug, kissing his temple. They don’t talk.

The atmosphere is gloomy in the flat for a couple of days after that, and whenever they go to bed, it’s not unusual that at least one of the three is crying.  
______________________________  
  
Miyako and Ken are both in the kitchen, both holding mugs of coffee. Ken looks at her uncertainly. He’s bad at this. He’s bad at comforting people, especially when he feels like grieving himself, but he still wants to try.

“Miyako-chan...”

She looks up with a sad smile on her face.

“How are you...?”

She shrugs. “I’m going to be okay,” she says. “It’s not like any of us are actually ready for a baby, right? I mean, you and I are still studying, and Daisuke’s, well, Daisuke... I mean... I want children at some point, but now... it just wasn’t the right time...” She sounds less resigned than she probably wants to, and much closer to tears than is comfortable.

“Doesn’t mean you’re not sad,” he states quietly. Her smile turns a little bitter.

“No,” she simply says.

He moves closer to her so that they’re both leaning against the counter, arm to arm.

“How are you?”

“Me?”  


“Yes, you. It could have been your child, you know.”

  
He looks at her. “I thought it would have been my child no matter what. Given the terms of our relationship.”

She observes him, pondering, then nods. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure you’d actually feel that way if it...ever came to this. But yeah.”

He wants to ask how she could think that he’d care whether any child they will have together is his or Daisuke’s when it’s going to be their child regardless, and he couldn’t care less about genetics, but he doesn’t.

He just nudges her arm gently. It’s all he can do to provide comfort. He’s not very good at this.

“I’m sorry, you know.”  


“No! You don’t need to be sorry-“ He extends an arm and pulls her close to him. He wants to shout at her that she shouldn’t feel guilty but she already shakes her head.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away.”

He shrugs. “Hawkmon told me you didn’t want me to freak out... you were probably right; I would have been pretty useless. I’m sorry.” He gives her a squeeze, and she puts her mug on the counter and leans into his embrace. He puts his own mug down and wraps both arms around her. Her head rests on his shoulder and her chin-length hair tickles his nose.

“I lied, you know. Wasn’t worried about you at all. Well, I knew you’d cry, but not because you’re weak or something. I just didn’t want to say it twice...”

He holds her tighter.

“I know you worry a lot – I should have told you really, and both you and Daisuke have been brilliant these last few days, and –“

“It’s okay,” he says, gently. “We’re going to be fine, aren’t we?”

“Eventually,” she says, and they both wrap their arms around each other tighter until they’re hardly able to breathe.

Eventually, it will hurt less, Ken knows, and they’re going to be fine. As long as they all have each other.


	4. Blame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hospitalization, Grave Injury, Burns

###### #1 - “It wasn’t your fault”

Taichi is sitting in the waiting room again. Because his little sister is in the emergency room, again. Because he messed up. 

Again.

Koushiro had said that it was a rather large energy signal. That it could be dangerous to send only the younger kids. And Taichi hadn’t listened to a single word that he had to say. Again.

And now Daisuke and Hikari were in the emergency room.

Koushiro has been saying that they’re lucky it was only them. Taichi sees Iori, tiny little Iori, who looks like he had a deathmatch with a lawnmower and lost. Ken, out for the count after screaming himself hoarse and falling into unconsciousness. Takeru being checked for a concussion. He wonders how the hell he’s supposed to think of this result as lucky.

At least nobody’s dead, they all say. At least nobody died. Because someone definitely could’ve. They all could’ve. They even came pretty close.

And all because Taichi messed up.

He tries to focus on the ones who he knows aren’t going to die, tries to soothe Miyako’s sobbing and stop her from picking at the bandages covering up her face.

Taichi tells Miyako not to cry, but it’s a bit meaningless since she can probably hear that he’s crying himself, even if she can’t see it. He says it’s going to be fine and Hikari is going to be fine and the two of them can go out and buy Miyako her new pair of glasses, it’s going to be ok, Taichi will even help pay for them, ok? 

He doesn’t even manage to convince himself.

Iori is probably the most stable out of anyone, despite being the most banged up of the lot. He doesn’t shed a tear. But his eyes remain glued to the doors that Daisuke disappeared through.

Minutes seem to crawl by. Taichi sits for what seems like an eternity, in a room with only himself and the children he’s failed.

Hours pass, along with dinnertime, but Taichi doesn’t bother telling anyone to go eat. He doesn’t think he’d be able to avoid throwing up himself, anyways.

Ken finally wakes up and immediately starts asking for Daisuke. Taichi can’t get any words out of his throat, and Takeru ends up being the one who has to explain that Daisuke is still in the operating room. That they don’t know if he’s going to be ok. Ken goes hysterical again, and Taichi is by far the most useless in calming him down.

Eventually, Jou comes down with dinner from the cafeteria. Taichi feels bad accepting it. He should’ve done that. He offers to pay Jou back, but the older boy refuses outright. He reminds everyone to make sure they get plenty of rest.

Taichi doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to sleep again.

It’s another painstaking hour, before a doctor finally comes out and says that it’s ok for Taichi to see Hikari now. She’s stable. Miyako starts crying from joy.

He feels a bit bad about leaving the younger kids, but it’s not like he was helping anyways. So he just gives them a weak wave and follows the doctor down to the burn ward.

He makes it two steps through the door to her room before he has to start biting back the urge to cry. The bandages don’t make him feel any less like throwing up. He can’t see much of her under them, and so the doctor starts explaining and pointing out where the burn reaches. It goes from all the way down her right arm and up onto her face. Apparently, the greatest damage is around her shoulder and neck. The doctor says they’re still assessing the damage done to the breast tissue. Some part of Taichi’s overloaded brain decides to start worrying about potential bullying and the like. That’s somehow slightly less worrying than everything else, so Taichi comforts himself in imagining how he’ll beat up anyone who dares to call his sister ugly.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wonders if his parents are going to beat him up for letting this happen to his sister once they get home. He’d deserve it, at least.

Eventually, he manages to tear his eyes away from the broken little girl who deserves a better brother and a better leader, and he heads back to the waiting room. The second the younger children become aware of his return, the questions start flying. In spite of his earlier resilience, Iori is now sobbing just as much as anyone.

The removal of weight from everyone’s shoulders is more than visible as they hear that Hikari is going to be ok. 

Apparently, at some point, it was announced that Daisuke would likely make it through the night, and the doctors told the kids to go home and get some rest. In an attempt to actually get some rest, they’d started arranging for everyone to spend the night at Takeru’s. He offers Taichi a spot on the floor, but Taichi doesn’t think an extra presence would do him any good anyways.

So Taichi goes home by himself and doesn’t sleep. Somehow, he manages to eat something before going down to the hospital once again. 

The younger kids are already there. The doctors have already refused them from seeing Daisuke, since they need a family member’s explicit permission. But with Taichi’s arrival, they’re allowed to go see Hikari in pairs. Nobody objects to letting Miyako go first.

She doesn’t manage to keep herself from crying as she and Takeru are lead into Hikari’s room. Maybe that’s a good thing, because Hikari actually starts to stir. Everyone is directly at her bedside within an instant of her opening her eyes. Something in Taichi finally unclenches, then. She’s ok. She’s ok…He can barely hold himself back from hugging her.

“…huh?” Hikari mutters blearily. “What happened…hngh…Alphamon?”

“It’s fine. It’s fine now, Hikari. We’re safe.” Miyako sobs as she clenches onto her hand far tighter than she should.

“…Is Daisuke ok? Where’s Iori and Ken?” She asks, as she starts inspecting the bandages mummying her. Of course, she wouldn’t bother to think about herself for a second.

“We could only come in two at a time since we’re not family…” Takeru explains softly. Taichi eventually can’t take watching her anymore and grabs her hand.

“Don’t fiddle with your bandages.” He says.

“…Sorry. Do…mom and dad know I’m hurt, yet?” She asks.

“…Yeah, they’re on their way home right now.” He tells her. He can’t tell what she thinks of the answer. He doesn’t get the chance to ask, as they’re all whisked out of the room by doctors wanting to bombard her with questions and the like.

When they return to the waiting room, it’s only Iori there. He looks weirdly happy about something.

“Daisuke’s family showed up a few minutes ago. They only want one at a time, so Ken went in by himself, but apparently he’s awake and ok.” He explains with a smile. An almost unified sigh of relief comes out of everyone. 

With a few less things to be miserable about, the waiting around feels less stretched out than before. That, and it doesn’t take hours. As a matter of fact, after just a few minutes, Jun and Ken come out into the room again. Ken’s eyes look puffy, but any past tears have been replaced by a small smile.

For some reason, everyone agrees that Taichi should be the next person to go talk to Daisuke. He’s not really sure how to object.

So within a matter of minutes he finds himself facing his little successor, goggles and spine both broken. He still manages to give Taichi a smile somehow.

“Hey Taichi! Oh my god, can you believe they’re putting me in a wheelchair!?” He groans. It’s weird, seeing him so…unanimated. Taichi never noticed until this very moment how much Daisuke used his body to speak.

“Of course I can! Daisuke, you jumped in front of a giant sword. It’s lucky you’re even alive right now!” He exclaims, unwilling and unable to reciprocate Daisuke’s floaty, unphased demeanor.

“…Yeah. I know.” Daisuke responds with a weak chuckle.

“Are you…doing ok?” Taichi asks hesitantly.

“As ok as a guy who took a sword to the chest could possibly be!” Daisuke laughs.

Taichi doesn’t know what to say to that, and there’s a few short seconds of silence before he decides to say something more important.

“I’m sorry I was a bad leader.” Both boys say at the exact same time. Taichi jerks back in shock and stares at the younger boy, seeing a mirrored reaction on Daisuke’s face.

“Daisuke…what are you talking about?” Taichi says in shock.

“…I-I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I’m a terrible leader. I don’t deserve your-” Daisuke starts.

“What on earth are you talking about!? It wasn’t your fault!” Taichi yells. Daisuke looks incredibly shocked as the older boy walks over and gives him the lightest hug he can. “None of this is your fault. Don’t be ridiculous.”

Daisuke opens his mouth to object, but Taichi just shushes him. “No, stop that. You’d wanted to listen to Koushiro, I’m the one who insisted it was fine. You thought the right thing. This isn’t your fault. Don’t think for a second that it is.” 

Daisuke doesn’t look all that convinced, but nods anyways. That’s a good enough start, he supposes.

“…Is Hikari ok? I saw her get hit before I passed out.” Daisuke mutters after a few minutes.

“Yeah. She’s fine. She was worried about you when she woke up, y’know.” Taichi tells him, hoping to lighten the boy’s mood a bit. There’s no reason to tell him that he was the first person she asked about, though. He doesn’t need that kind of ego boost. Daisuke chuckles, but otherwise doesn’t say anything about it.

After a few minutes of chatter, he eventually asks to see Iori. Taichi is more than happy to oblige. Iori looks incredibly happy as he runs off to Daisuke’s room a few minutes later.

The rest of the day is spent hanging around Hikari’s room, as well as occasionally popping in on Daisuke. The younger kids do mostly the same, all looking significantly more calm and relaxed without the threat of death looming.

Nobody is dead. They’re all scarred and broken, but maybe that’s just the best thing he could hope for with how badly he fucked up. So he supposes he can think of this result as lucky.

Though he hopes to god it’ll never happen again.


	5. Eschatology

###### #47. “Hold my hand until it’s over?” 

 

They had made it to a peak just in time, but before long, the water would reach them up there, too. Miyako couldn’t see much anymore, not just because her glasses had broken beyond repair now, but also because of the tears that kept welling up. It was ridiculous, really. She would join their friends before long.

“Did you…did you see…” Hikari’s voice sounded shaky and frightened, but she didn’t need to finish the sentence for Miyako to know what she meant. Her glasses had been cracked but still functional when Iori and Armadimon had been dragged under by the whirling waves. She had also seen Ken and Daisuke disintegrate into data as if they had never been anything else, still clinging to one another until the very last moment. And then Aquilamon had been hit by a strange upwind, and they had been flung into what seemed like a tornado with debris from one of the other worlds floating around, and a stone must have hit her glasses, or several pebbles and shards, she didn’t know, and some of them must have pierced through the glass and hit her eyes, and she’d screamed; but what did the pain matter now, now that everything was lost…

She’d flung them from her face into the storm because they were useless now, but perhaps also because she didn’t want to see anymore anyway.

It was only luck, then, that she _had_ seen the flutter of a green shirt in the darkness – or rather, a green blob that seemed somewhat familiar so she made a grab for it. She had grabbed her hand almost by accident and drawn Hikari onto Aquilamon’s back behind her.

And now they had reached a peak that seemed to lie in the centre of the storm. Calm for now, but a temporary sort of safety at best.

She couldn’t see Hikari, but she could hear her crying. Her own cheeks were wet, too, but she couldn’t tell anymore if it was tears or blood. Most probably, it was both.

“Where’s Tailm-?”  
  
“…a-absorbed…”

“Ah.”

It had happened to several of their Digimon, right at the beginning of the fight. First Omnimon, then Imperialdramon – clearly the strongest had been targeted first, but then Lilymon and HeracleKabuterimon had been subsumed. And Angewomon, too, apparently, though Miyako hadn’t seen that happen. Guilt gnawed at her stomach, but she couldn’t help feeling relieved that their partners had not managed to Jogress before the battle began…

Miyako clutched Hawkmon a little tighter to her chest. Her partner was silent, and she could tell that he was scared. It frightened her more than anything else; he’d always been so calm, her anchor in the storm, and now she could feel him tremble almost as much as she did.

 

“The…the water are rising, Miyako…” She sounded panicked and forlorn. “It’s the Dark Ocean, isn’t it? I knew it was coming for me, I always knew…this is all my fault.”

Miyako shook her head, even though she had no way of telling whether Hikari was even looking in her direction. The waters were murky enough, but it wasn’t the Dark Ocean coming for them. It wasn’t only water, either, it was wind, and lightning, and chaos and destruction. It was the different worlds bleeding into one another, merging into an unrecognizable soup. Even now she could hear the screams of frightened humans as the destruction reached different parts of their own world, region after region, country after country. And other worlds, too, if Koushiro’s theories were correct – she had no doubt that they were. Perhaps some of the cries weren’t even human at all but from an alien race they hadn’t yet encountered and now never would. A dry sob rose up in her throat. She’d always loved science fiction stories. Loved the idea of meeting different people from different planets. She’d always thought that maybe meeting the Digimon was just the start of an ever-growing adventure of meeting beings who were different from them and still wanted to be their friends, had always believed in the most utopian  of futures, had seen Koushiro’s probably discovery of a multiverse as something amazing, something to be celebrated. She had never imagined this.

She should have seen it coming. Years ago, when the worlds had been in danger of merging, she had looked at that computer simulation of the different-coloured stripes whirling together, creating a colourful spiral – until it all merged into nothingness. She had never thought that it would actually happen.

“Miyako…?”

Ah. She hadn’t spoken for too long. Had explained none of her thoughts to her friend.

“It’s…it’s not the Dark Ocean,” she finally whispered. “It’s…it’s like the world is crashing, like-“

“Like all balance has gone out of it?”

She nodded, surprised that Hikari had found the words to describe what she struggled to express.

“I know. I felt it go.”

Miyako didn’t have to ask what Hikari meant. _Homeostasis._

“You know, I never liked it. Whatever it really was. Seemed to me like it would kill to maintain balance.”

Hikari, despite everything, chuckled quietly. “Me neither. I think it went about it the wrong way, too…too rigid… maybe if it hadn’t been so uncompromising-“

Maybe they would have had a chance, then. If Homeostasis hadn’t been willing to sacrifice so much to keep what it treasured most, then maybe the Chosen Children would have had a chance to keep the monster at bay. But it was too late now. All around them, chaos reigned. And it would destroy not only the digital world, not only the human world, but every world that was. And ever would be. Not even the darkness would remain – it too would make way for nothingness.

And nothingness was fast approaching; she could almost feel it, feel it like a hint of electricity in the air that made her hair stand up. It would come for them on their peak. Would swallow them hole like the murky waters that had swallowed Iori. Would delete them as thoroughly as the cloud of…of empty space had deleted Ken and Daisuke. Would burn them like the fire that had overcome Takeru and left behind nothing but ashes until those, too, would vanish.

It was the end.

Miyako felt every tear coming out of her damaged eyes.

And then a hand slid into hers, softly wrangled one hand free from the clutch with which she kept the silent Hawkmon close.

“Hold my hand until it’s over?” Hikari whispered.


	6. Kaiser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Major Character Death!

###### Leave a “Kill Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about one character killing another.

The spore had grown again. He could feel it along his spine – he knew it wasn’t an actual plant, had heard Ken – no, Ichijouji – say that it was just data, but it sure felt like vines curling around his spinal column. He had a vague feeling that this was a bad thing, but it didn’t feel particularly bad at all. The spore gave him strength, allowed him to fight against his enemies, allowed him to stop everyone else from hurting him ever again. That was a good thing. 

Behind him, Imperialdramon roared and a shiver ran along the vines within his back. Imperialdramon was powerful. He was powerful. What did it matter that the earth around him cracked and the trees at the side of the mountain fell beneath Imperialdramon’s mighty step? It was better that way. Best to destroy this world before it could destroy them. Them? No, him. Just him. He was alone now, only him and Imperialdramon. It was better this way. 

As he walked along the mountain ridge, Imperialdramon hovering behind him, smaller Digimon scuttled away in fright. He smiled.  
A shadow passed above them and he looked up to see a red, eagle-like Digimon circle overhead as it it was looking for a place to land. He couldn’t remember the name, but he was sure he’d seen it before. Was it trying to pick a fight? Then Imperialdramon would obliterate it right away – no one could attack his partner and live.  
But the digimon didn’t land. Instead, a figure jumped from it when it was close enough to the ground and came to stand right in front of him.  
Daisuke didn’t recognize the enemy, and he didn’t care who he was anyway. Taller than him, but slighter, trembling. Daisuke scoffed. Fear was weakness. And he would destroy him. And it didn’t matter how pleadingly he said his name. 

“Where’s your partner, Chosen Child?” he asked with a sneer. “You’re not gonna tell me that you wanna fight the mighty Imperialdramon with your bare hands?”  
“Please, Daisuke, I don’t want to fight at all.”  
Daisuke scoffed. “Weakling.”

He turned around, gesturing for Imperialdramon to follow. He wouldn’t fight a weakling, that was beneath him. At least, that’s what he told himself, not willing to acknowledge the weird warmth that seemed to burn away at the flowers on his spine when he had heard that voice. 

But as he turned, a hand reached out and grabbed his coat. DANGER! the spore screamed, and Imperialdramon instinctively shot a positron laser into the air, but Daisuke couldn’t see whether he’d hit the other Digimon. He whirled around, pushing the enemy away. 

And he fell.  
Tumbled down the steep mountainside.  
Came to a stop on a rock nearby.  
Didn’t move anymore. 

And a sudden cold gripped Daisuke’s heart that made the flowers wilt. All of sudden, he knew who the enemy had been, knew who had tried to face him and why he hadn’t wanted to fight. 

“KEN! NO!”

He ran down the side of the mountain, not caring whether he would tumble and fall down himself. But the remains of the spore ensured that his balance was good enough to reach the little rocky overhang where Ken had come to a halt. 

He still wasn’t moving.

“Ken?” Daisuke hadn’t heard his own voice sound so shaky ever since he had become…had become…the Kaiser. He was the Kaiser. And he had-!

“Wake up, Ken, come on, man, please!” 

There was blood on the rock now, a lot of blood, pooling around Ken’s head. He didn’t notice the light above them as Imperialdramon devolved, leaving behind two very confused and forlorn babies. 

“…Ken…please, Ken…”

He touched his shoulder, shook him, but there was no reaction. He slid his arm underneath Ken’s back and pulled him onto his lap, not caring that his blue coat got stained in Ken’s blood. He was still warm.

Daisuke pressed his face against Ken’s neck. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…! Ken, please…please…”  
He could only sit and whimper while Ken’s body hung limp in his arms.  
He didn’t even hear the screams of the others as they came closer.


End file.
